Wondering where the sun rises with the moon hanging above? Then you’re in the right place. We are standing at Tai Sha Kok. It is also known as the Cape of Sha Tau Kok. This easternmost point holds a sign and a stone tablet. The sign displays the cape’s coordinates.
Let’s talk about the poem inscribed on that tablet. The Chinese text translates to “The sun rises from the beach Sha Tau the moon hangs above the cape Kok”. This poem is believed to be the origin of the name Sha Tau Kok. Qing officials wrote it when they inspected the area. Isn’t it fascinating how a simple poem can name a town?
But Tai Sha Kok is more than just a pretty name. It is located within the Mirs Bay area. Sha Tau Kok lies on the northern shoreline of Starling Inlet. It is approximately 10 km northeast of Fanling.
Now, let’s take a step back in time. The area has been inhabited for a long time. Stone tools dating back to the Neolithic Period were found in San Tsuen. Pottery from the Han dynasty was also discovered there.
During the Qing dynasty, the “Great Clearance” occurred in the 17th century. Most of the area’s original settlers were expelled. They moved to places like Yuen Long and Shenzhen. Hakka settlers then arrived in Sha Tau Kok. They settled along the northern shoreline of Mirs Bay. More Hakka villages were established in the 18th century.
In the early 1800s, five wealthy villages invested in reclaiming Sha Tau Kok. This reclamation aimed to create more farmland for the growing population. Around the 1830s, ten villages formed an alliance. They established a new market at Sha Lan Ha. This market allowed Sha Tau Kok to operate independently from older markets in Shenzhen.
This market was named Tung Wo Market. Basel missionary Theodore Hamberg described it in 1848. He called it a “great market quite given over to trade newly built and bustling with business”. In the 1850s, there were about 50 shops.
In 1898, Sha Tau Kok was leased to the British. However, Tung Wo Market was not included in this lease. This created problems for shopkeepers. They were cut off from their ancestral villages in Hong Kong. The elders of Shap Yeuk petitioned against the lease. They feared excessive taxation and practical problems. Unfortunately, the petition failed. This led to the decline of Tung Wo Market in the 20th century.
As of January 1 2024 a daily quota of 1000 individual visitors are permitted to visit Sha Tau Kok. They need a Tourism Closed Area Permit. Although tourists can visit most parts of Sha Tau Kok, Chung Ying Street remains off limits.
Sha Tau Kok continues to evolve. While some residents embrace tourism, others worry. They fear it might affect the historically closed community. This balance between preservation and progress is what makes Sha Tau Kok so unique. As you stand here at Tai Sha Kok you are at a place where history geography and culture converge.